


From the Director's Chair

by Jairephix



Series: A More Careful Pen [4]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergent, Director Davenport
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:36:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jairephix/pseuds/Jairephix
Summary: Davenport, the Director of the Bureau of Balance, has some hard decisions to make. The view from his chair is a hard one, sometimes.---Please read A Careful Application of Voidfish first, for context!





	From the Director's Chair

 "Director...Sir..."

Davenport looked up from the paperwork on his desk, where he was trying to plan his next round of assignments for the people he had. It was Lucretia, nervous an awkward as always, He thought it odd, that she acted so much like a young girl instead of the older woman she was. Something in her actions, maybe, made him treat her younger. He didn't like to think of it, didn't like the warning stabs of pain behind his eyes when it boiled up.

"Yes? What is it?"

"I don't think you'll like it." Lucretia made a face, clutching her blue-bound journal to her chest. "It's...It's about Brian."

The gnome frowned. Brian was one of their Regulators. Worked well with Carey and Killian, though often was better off by himself as his adoration for spiders, and Bryan's multi-legged mass, was a bit overwhelming for most. "What about him?"

The hand that didn't hold her journal was the white oak staff she depended on, and Davenport was surprised to see her knuckles pale as her grip intensified. Whatever she was about to say worried her enough that he was feeling the first twinges of fear in his gut. What was she going to say?

"He's gone missing. We sent him on that reconnaissance mission, to help that dwarf, that. Uh. Gundren....Rockseeker?" Davenport nodded. He remembered that file. Brian was the perfect fit to be odd and ask all sorts of overly personal questions under the guise of being foreign, and sneak more information about whatever treasure Gundren was looking for. No one would even question a drow showing up and being overly nosey.

"He's gone missing in the field? I can see about pulling Killian--"

Lucretia shook her head. "She's gathering intelligence for the mission Carey is taking on after this one wraps up. They've been waiting for several months for anyone to take action in the field."

He reached up, twirling one end of his carefully manicured mustache. "Hmm. Right. We'll get the Reclaimers out in the field for the heavy lifting. As soon as Killian reports in with her mission status, we'll have to deploy her again. Can you get the boys in here?"

Lucretia nodded, moving quickly for the door. As it clicked closed behind her, Davenport pulled open a drawer, taking out his favorite object to fiddle with. The deck's long cards were awkward to hold with his smaller hands, but hearing the soft shush from the cards as he shuffled was soothing. Out of habit, he stared blankly, wondering what was going to happen with all of this. Where was Brian? Would his friends be able to bring him home safely? Why was he missing?

A soft thump pulled him from his thoughts, staring at the cards that had leapt out of the deck.

The Ten of Swords stared up at him. Davenport frowned at the artwork, of the figure laying on the ground with ten plain blades standing from their body. Two cards lay face down. With a quick flick of his wrist, he flipped them over. The Wheel of Fortune and The Star.

Magnus had taught him years ago, and he had learned it from someone else. Neither of them could remember who, or where, any more, though a flicker of a purple sky in memory sometimes lead one or both of them to wince in pain. But no matter the way or reasonings behind that, the meanings seemingly arbitrarily assigned to these card images brought a frown to the gnome's face.

A betrayal, but then also a destined cycle and hope? What could that possibly mean?

He stared a moment longer, then scooped the trio of cards up to slide back into the deck. Making sure it was a tidy stack, he tucked it back into the drawer it came from.

They were just cards, after all, there was no way there was any weight to the words they offered.


End file.
